Veterinary Assistant

General Nature of Work

The Veterinary Technician is responsible for performing skilled work in the intake and care of Gilmer County Shelter animals. The position is responsible for ensuring policy and procedure compliance, performing animal care duties, managing animal placement, providing customer service, and performing related clerical tasks. The position works under general supervision according to some procedures.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide basic medical care to shelter animals. Read and understand animal records, and having knowledge of medical condition processes.
• Administration and application of treatments, drugs, fluids, medications and immunological agents by oral, parenteral and injectable routes, venipuncture, calculating drug doses.
• Attend and provide input while making rounds around the shelter, complete patient status reports, assist with patient receiving, perform or assist with specimen collection, enter requests and patient charges into system, communicate animal medical information with Shelter Director/Manager.
• Monitors and performs cleaning and sanitizing of kennels and related animal living areas in the Shelter, and providing care for Shelter animals, including feeding, ensuring access to fresh water, bathing and providing routine medical care.
• Protects the welfare of Shelter animals may assist by monitoring appropriate placement of animals in accordance with good health practices, Shelter policy and animal control requirements.
• Provides customer service to the public, including assisting with locating lost animals, providing information on animal adoption and care, and assisting with the adoption process.
• Assesses health and attitude of animals upon arrival at the Shelter; administers vaccinations and medications, and tests animals as required; completes vaccination records and paperwork relating to breed, age, disposition, origin and sex of animals.
• Ensures compliance by kennel staff with policy, procedures and regulations for the area of responsibility; interprets policy for staff as required.
• Acts as liaison between Animal Control and Shelter as needed, and interacts with foster care and other volunteers to ensure responsible care of animals.
• Performs clerical tasks such as providing information for preparation of performing data entry, setting up and maintaining records or telephoning.
• Attends staff meetings to exchange information; attends technical or professional classes or workshops to improve technical or professional skills.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

• Must be able to work weekends/nights.
• Performs other related duties as required.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES

• Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Rabies testing procedures; Quarantine principles; Kennel procedures and principles. Ability to interact with impounded dogs, cats and other animals including vicious, stray, sick or injured animals. Ability to handle seeing and dealing with animals that have been abused, neglected or treated cruelly. Ability to learn/perform a variety of animal care related work activities.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to exchange information for the purpose of clarifying details within well-established policies, procedures and standards.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to carry out detailed but routine written or oral instructions. Involves routine work according to clearly prescribed standard practices, with some latitude for independent judgment.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment in situations characterized by repetitive or short cycle operations covered by well-established procedures or sequences.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Technical knowledge in the field preferred.
• An associate’s degree or the equivalent of two years of college or vocational school education in veterinarian technician or a closely related field or two years of related experience preferred.

ADA Requirements: Individuals applying for the posted position must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Physical Requirements: Tasks require the regular and, at times, sustained performance of moderately physically demanding work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and that may involve the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of moderately heavy objects and materials (50-100 pounds).

Work Environment: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, temperature and noise extremes, or traffic hazards, pathogens and bio-hazards.